Pep Guardiola signed a brand new two-year contract to increase his keep as Manchester Metropolis boss, the membership introduced Thursday.
Guardiola, 53, agreed to a deal that may hold him on the Etihad Stadium till 2027. His contract was because of expire on the finish of the present marketing campaign.
The extension means Guardiola will have a good time 10 years at Metropolis in the summertime of 2026, having arrived from Bayern Munich in 2016.
“Because the starting of the season, I have been pondering so much,” Guardiola mentioned. “I wish to be sincere, I assumed this [season] must be the final one. However the issues we had within the final month, I felt now was not the appropriate time to depart. I did not wish to let the membership down.
“Manchester Metropolis means a lot to me,” Guardiola mentioned. “We’ve skilled so many wonderful instances collectively. I’ve a extremely particular feeling for this soccer membership. That’s the reason I’m so completely satisfied to be staying for an additional two extra seasons.”
Metropolis, in line with sources, have been involved Guardiola would possibly step down on the finish of the season. His resolution to remain is a serious increase, significantly with director of soccer Txiki Begiristain leaving the membership in the summertime.
Begiristain was instrumental in engineering an period of unprecedented success on the Etihad. He’ll get replaced by Hugo Viana, who will make the transfer from Sporting Lisbon the place he labored with new Manchester United coach Ruben Amorim.
Guardiola is essentially the most profitable supervisor in Metropolis’s historical past, having gained 15 main trophies together with six Premier League titles and the Champions League. This season, he is aiming to change into the primary supervisor in English soccer historical past to win 5 consecutive top-flight titles.
“It has all the time been an honour, a pleasure and a privilege to be right here,” Guardiola added. “I’ve mentioned this many instances earlier than, however I’ve all the pieces a supervisor may ever want for, and I respect that a lot. Hopefully now we are able to add extra trophies to those we’ve got already gained. That can be my focus.”
Metropolis, who’re on a run of 4 straight defeats in all competitions for the primary time since 2006, sit second within the desk, 5 factors behind leaders Liverpool.
“Like each Metropolis fan, I’m delighted that Pep’s journey with Manchester Metropolis will proceed; permitting his dedication, ardour and progressive pondering to proceed to form the panorama of the sport,” Metropolis chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak mentioned in a press release.
“His starvation for enchancment and success stays insatiable and the direct beneficiaries of that may proceed to be our gamers and training employees, the tradition of our Membership, and the English sport at massive.”
A supply instructed ESPN that Guardiola’s new deal doesn’t include a break clause, regardless of the specter of relegation from the Premier League if Metropolis are discovered responsible of breaching the competitors’s monetary guidelines. Metropolis are dealing with 115 prices — which they deny — at a listening to in London that started in September.
The listening to is ready to conclude within the coming weeks earlier than the impartial fee delivers its verdict subsequent 12 months.
